The Chairman of the Poor Peasants’ Committee Visits the School — Chapter from the Novel "Stone" by Volodymyr Shablia
The Chairman of the Poor Peasants’ Committee Visits the School
Stone — Book Three: Unrealized expectations —
Chapter 10
by Volodymyr Shablia
February 1933. The village of Tomakivka.
The final lesson of the day — the fifth — was drawing to a close. It was
called “Political Education.” The subject was compulsory for all students and
was meant to instill political awareness and ideological consciousness in the
younger generation.
To be honest, it was one of the few classes Peter found unbearably dull.
Still, expressing one’s opinion about a subject was not encouraged, so the boy
endured it in silence. Rules existed to be followed, after all.
“The Communist Party, the government, and our beloved leader Comrade
Stalin personally care for your well-being and ours!” proclaimed their homeroom
teacher, Svetlana Afanasyevna, with solemn emphasis. “Following the precepts of
the great Lenin, they are leading us toward a radiant future, waging an
uncompromising struggle against the enemies of the people — kulaks, individual farmers,
saboteurs, counterrevolutionaries, and other anti-Soviet elements!”
The teacher glanced at the clock, then at the door, shrugged faintly,
and let out a deep sigh.
“The Party hopes that you will hold high the banner of Marxism-Leninism
and proletarian internationalism! That means you must actively assist your
elder comrades in carrying out the merciless class struggle!” she continued,
once again casting a look toward the door, as though awaiting someone’s
arrival.
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| Propaganda in Soviet school |
The teacher swept the room with a determined look. She had already
opened her mouth to continue her speech when a sharp knock suddenly rang out.
The door cracked open, and the school principal peeked inside. After briefly
assessing the room’s readiness for the occasion, he stepped back at once, threw
both doors wide open, and a small man with bulging eyes appeared in the
doorway, dressed in a semi-military uniform.
“Ah, Comrade Chairman of the Poor Peasants’ Committee! Please, come in!
Have a seat!” Svetlana Afanasyevna burst out enthusiastically, pointing toward
her chair beside the teacher’s desk.
The man stomped into the classroom, making far more noise than seemed
possible for someone of his modest size. He did not greet the students. He
merely cast a cold glance over them and, with the same excessive clatter, lowered
himself noisily into the offered chair.
“Children!” the teacher began excitedly. “We have been granted a
tremendous honor! Today we are visited by the chairman of the Poor Peasants’
Committee, an active member of the grain procurement brigade, Konstantin
Ivanovich Stebletsov!”
She looked at the guest, nodded, smiled, and then began clapping as hard
as she could, urging the students through every gesture and expression to
follow her example. The boys and girls instantly responded to Svetlana
Afanasyevna’s wordless prompting and joined in without hesitation. They leapt
to their feet and applauded. The classroom filled with something resembling a
standing ovation.
‘Just like in a theater!’ flashed through the teacher’s mind. But she
quickly drove the thought away; she needed to devote herself entirely to the ideologically
proper staging of the event.
For nearly half a minute the homeroom teacher continued inspiring her
pupils by personal example to sustain the ovation, and the children obediently
echoed her in everything. Only when, in her estimation, the applause had lasted
long enough did she finally raise her hands in a stopping gesture. The students
fell silent.
Stebletsov, however, showed no reaction whatsoever to the enthusiastic
welcome. Leaning on the desk, chin propped upon clasped hands, he merely stared
indifferently at the back wall of the room.
“Konstantin Ivanovich is not merely talking about uprooting
class-hostile elements from our Soviet reality — he is doing it in practice! He
is carrying out the Bolshevik Party line aimed at eliminating the kulaks as a
class! And today, children, the best among you are being given the chance to prove
your devotion to the cause of Lenin and Stalin!” the woman continued grandly. “Peter!
Masha! Stand up!”
The children rose uncertainly from their seats.
“As top students, as Young Pioneers, you have been entrusted by the
school collective to take part in an important state undertaking.” Svetlana
Afanasyevna’s chest seemed to swell, her chin lifting proudly. “You will
represent our school as volunteer members of the grain procurement brigade.
Together with your elder comrades, you are tasked with uncovering grain
supplies hidden away by kulaks and saboteurs! Our class enemy never sleeps,
constantly trying to sabotage the industrialization of the USSR. He withholds bread
from the Soviet state, condemning the proletariat to suffering. But we will not
allow the vile accomplices of the rich to rob our people! We entrust you with
an important mission — as members of the grain procurement brigade, you are to
discover and deliver to the granaries of the Motherland the grain illegally
concealed by the kulaks!..”
The teacher drew a breath, preparing to continue with even greater
fervor, but at that moment a loud scraping sound cut through the classroom:
Stebletsov had decided to rise from behind the desk.
“Let’s go,” the man said curtly. He gave the children a barely
noticeable wave of the hand and trudged toward the door.
Peter and Masha exchanged glances, then looked questioningly at Svetlana
Afanasyevna.
“For the cause of the Communist Party — be prepared!” the teacher
blurted out, hurrying to pronounce the slogan before the chairman of the Poor
Peasants’ Committee disappeared from the room.
“Always ready!” the boy and girl shouted almost in unison, raising their
hands in the Pioneer salute.
“Hurry and get dressed, then go with Comrade Chairman of the Poor
Peasants’ Committee!” the teacher ordered, hastily straightening the children’s
red neckerchiefs. “You are excused from lessons for the rest of the day.”
The children rushed to obey.
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Read or download the complete books in Ukrainian:
Stone — Book Two: Difficult Roads to Hell
Stone — Book Three: Unrealized Expectations
Stone — Book Four: The Turning Point
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